Home » Page 2

Book Review: Sacrilege by Barbara Avon

Sacrilege by Barbara Avon

Self published, 2020

ISBN: 9798690309411

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy:    Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

Sacrilege is a depressing psychological drama that takes you down, down, and further down.  There are no monsters or boogeymen in this one, just the mental demons that inhabit the characters.  It’s a pretty good read for those who prefer human interest/interaction stories.

 

Almost the entire story focuses on the two leads: wayward priest Cris Corelli, and Jules, the lady who owns the boarding house he stumbles into.  The author sets the tone right out of the gate: mentally, these two are trainwrecks, for various reasons.  As the story progresses, the death of someone close to both of them pushes Cris and Jules further down into depression.  They start drinking and drugging to numb the pain, only finding minimal comfort in each other.  However, it’s the best either of them can hope for, unless they somehow are able to use each other to pull out of their respective tailspins.

 

The stark manner in which the dialogue between Corelli and Jules is written is an unusual choice.  Often, books like this rely on fairly long and in-depth conversations, as a way to explain how the characters became, and where they are heading.  The author goes against the grain here, as most talks are fairly quick and clipped, not really revealing a lot about the characters.  Then again, maybe they don’t need to, the characters’ actions may speak louder than any lengthy dialogue in this case.  It’s an interesting choice for this type of book, and works reasonably well for the narrative, giving it a unique flavor.

 

I felt the “big reveal” at the end of the story was anticlimactic. You could tell it was supposed to be fairly important, due to Corelli’s actions after he discovered it, but it just didn’t seem like anything that should alter the story’s trajectory, or what the characters do for the rest of the book.

 

The bottom line is…this will appeal to a certain segment of readers.  If you enjoy depressing psychological dramas, this might work for you.  If your idea of horror is fast-paced, with monsters and supernatural craziness, then this probably isn’t your cup of black ichor.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on February 3, 2025 by , Reply

Book Review: The Demon by Victory Witherkeigh

 

 

The Demon by Victory Witherkeigh

BookBaby, 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8350951110

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy:  Amazon.com

 

The Demon  is a sequel to The Girl, a coming-of-age story grounded in Tagalog folklore and mythology, about a Filipina-American girl whose family has promised her body to a demon on her 18th birthday as part of fulfilling an ancestral pact, but will have to choose whether to fulfil it. I haven’t had the opportunity to read it, but I suspect The Demon makes much more sense if you’ve read The Girl. 

 

The Demon starts with the demon, Hukloban taking over the physical body of the girl, who is nameless in the book. It isn’t an easy transition, and not only is the demon now overwhelmed with the physical sensations of her mortal body, but she has lost her memories and most of her demonic powers. Since Hukloban cannot remember anything, it’s unclear why the girl was taken over, what bargain she made, or who she is. Second-in-command to Sitan, the Master of Death, when he asks her she cannot remember why she wanted to be part of the mortal world. Thousands of years old, the demon will have to find her way in the human world, while satisfying her demonic needs and fulfilling her end of the bargain, made with Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu, to keep his bloodline prosperous. As in her previous book, it is a story about making choices, self-determination, and being human. How does a death goddess manage the body, mind, and emotions of a teenage girl?

 

I found this compelling, but also confusing. Witherkeigh has written an ambitious story and is juggling a lot of balls: Hukloban’s story as a college student in the modern world, trying to reconstruct herself; her relationships with the girl’s family (there are a lot of them), where the girl’s relationships are entangled with her dulies to fulfill the bargain; the far past, when she initially met Sitan (I didn’t realize they were part of the Tagalog pantheon); the confusion of her love affairs and friendships; her frustration about the benefit Lapu-Lapu’s bloodline has taken from colonizers and dictators because of the bargain; the lack of choice available to women. There are some very adult themes and conversations about death, as well as BDSM, addiction, abortion, toxic relationships, and grooming.

 

While I found The Demon to be an interesting book, it wasn’t an immersive one, as I had to keep stopping to look things up, and I found the ending unsatisfying. It was unusual enough that it kept me reading, but other readers may find it’s too much work. Witherkeigh is talented, though, and I know we will see more from her.

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on February 3, 2025 by , Reply

Book Review: I Know What UFO Did Last Summer by Kevin Garone

cover art for I Know What UFO Did Last Summer

I Know What UFO Did Last Summer by Kevin Garone

Temor Press, April 2025 (not yet released)

ISBN: 9798991328401

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org

 

Part adventure, part sci-fi, and all childlike charm, this book is for young readers, but perfect for young-at-heart adults.  With its irresistible characters, it’s a reminder of a time when you were young and could believe in anything with all your heart, no matter how outlandish it might have been.  Simply put, this is magic.

 

It’s the three pre-teen lead characters, Marvin (code name: Gold Leader), Jace (code name: Baller One) and Nora (code name: Space Cadet) that make the story such a joy.  The author clearly knows kids and how to write them. His insights are so good, you’ll wonder if the book was written by a teen with advanced writing skills.  The main character, Marvin, truly believes aliens will one day infiltrate the earth, so he spends his spare time searching and preparing for them, along with his less enthusiastic friends.  Jace and Nora don’t really buy into Marvin’s obsession, but searching the night sky during campouts and building an anti-UFO catapult is fun for them.  That’s what buddies do: go along with the ideas of each other, in the name of friendship.

 

Things change when the three of them do find something unusual in the woods. It isn’t actual aliens, but it does somewhat fit into Marvin’s beliefs.  The author wisely doesn’t hide the fact that it isn’t an extraterrestrial invasion, but he has Marvin play his role to the end, and that’s where a lot of the story’s charm comes from.  It’s hilarious when adults in the book occasionally ask “what’s wrong with this kid?”” when Marvin accuses them of being from another planet.  The answer is, nothing at all.  He isn’t written as crazy or stupid, but as a kid who believes, wholeheartedly, in aliens coming to earth.  It makes the character interactions between the three kids more powerful than a laser bolt from Han Solo’s blaster, as Jace and Nora are perfect foils to Marvin.  Jace has fun with the whole alien thing, but would rather play basketball, while Nora is new and town and just needs a friend.

 

The storyline is quite good: call it sci-fi light.  There are a few weird creatures and a bit of teleporting, plus, of course, an EEEEVIL mastermind behind it all.  There are some stock elements, but they are used extremely well.  A few characters do get chomped by something, but nothing messy.  This book is perfect for grades four through seven, roughly. (I’m basing that on my teaching experience)

 

However, since this review is mainly for adults, the bottom line is, this is perfect for those who haven’t let the world dampen the joy of imagination.  It’s a good reminder that magic of a sort still does exist, if you still believe.  Often, that magic is found in the friendships you make, as the book’s characters discover during their adventure.   Most definitely recommended!

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on January 19, 2025 by , Reply
First « 12345 » Last
…
…
…